Border bill primed to give Mark Carney's government sweeping new powers. Who asked for this?
It was 'elbows up' during the federal election campaign as Mark Carney's Liberals portrayed themselves as fierce fighters against U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration's slide towards authoritarianism. But now it's 'elbows down' as the prime minister's new government tries to appease Trump's White House and puts Canadians' privacy rights and those of asylum seekers on the chopping block.
The 'Strong Borders Act,' a sweeping omnibus bill was tabled Tuesday. It has 16 parts, and amends more than a dozen laws in ways that affect the rights of citizens and non-citizens, measures that Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree stated were a response to 'some of the concerns that have been posed by the White House.' But it also includes long-standing requests by Canadian law enforcement agencies who waited for an opportune time to slide through legislative changes.
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CBC
8 minutes ago
- CBC
Experts warn of Bill C-2 as "anti-refugee" and "anti-immigrant" giving Canada "unchecked powers" like the U.S.
Mbonisi Zikhali came to Canada in 2009 from Zimbabwe to pursue a master's in journalism at Carleton University. Post-graduation, the international student found himself homeless in Windsor and applied for refugee status – a privilege soon unavailable if Bill C-2 becomes the law. "The bill is unnecessary and not sympathetic at all to people's well-being," Zikhali said. Many experts and community groups working with newcomers in Canada agree. They are calling on the Liberal government's sweeping new legislation, Bill C-2 or the Strong Borders Act, "anti-immigrant and anti-refugee" hoping the legislation is not voted on to become law. Zikhali said he came on scholarship and in 2012 found himself in Windsor picking tomatoes at a greenhouse. Soon enough, he was living on the streets, and lost his passport which also had his study permit in it. Applying for refugee status, Zikhali said, was his saving grace and worries this bill will deprive vulnerable people of a safe haven. What is Bill C-2? The legislation proposes changes to a number of laws including the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Specifically it allows officials to cancel, suspend or change immigration documents immediately, pause the acceptance of new applications and cancel applications already in process if deemed in the public interest. Critics say new border legislation aligns Canada's immigration system with the U.S. 20 hours ago Duration 2:43 Asylum claims would also have to be made within a year of entering the country, including for international students and temporary residents. For example, an Afghan international student came to study here in July 2020 .The Taliban takes over in August 2021 and things become scary back home. That student could have applied for asylum. But with this bill, the one-year time period would have lapsed and they would be ineligible. Zikhali said had the bill been around when he was applying for asylum, it would have been "devastating" as he would have been denied. The immigration changes would also require irregular border crossers, people who enter Canada between official ports of entry, to make an asylum claim within 14 days of arriving in Canada. "Very U.S.-like" bill: refugee help centre Windsor's Matthew House gives refugees a place to live and helps them with resettlement. Mike Morency, their executive director, worries this bill will put more vulnerable people at greater harm. "It continues to align our immigration system with that of the United States," Morency said. "Refugee claimants are not the problem. The one year-ban is a major concern for us. The other major concern for us is the ability of the government to declare an emergency and suspend applications. That one to me feels very US-like." Morency said he understands the government's will to try to cut back on international students and migrant workers making a refugee claim as a way to stay in Canada, but worries for people who have a legitimate need for protection being unfairly targeted. "It also feels very much like a workaround to our commitment to the Geneva Convention. If the government wants to step out of the Geneva Convention, then then we need to do it with integrity and we need to approach the UN and say we're going to withdraw," he said. Syed Hussan, spokesperson for the Migrant Rights Network, agrees saying the bill violates Canada's "most basic legal obligations" and is "immoral". Hussan asserts the bill infringes upon Canada's legal commitments and ethical standards by granting the government excessive authority to cancel permits. "Every refugee gets to have the right to have their case heard. That's now being taken away," he said. "Collectively it's a bill that gives the government unchecked power to take away people's status… This is an anti-immigrant and anti-refugee bill. It's illegal." Without any ability for people to appeal or have their case individually heard, Hussan said, the bill allows the government to "make people undocumented or just throw people out of the country in the hundreds of thousands". The changes also allow the federal immigration department to share information more widely with different agencies within Canada. Hussan said anyone who was not a citizen or later became a citizen will have their data impacted by the bill. Hassan said this is similar to the US immigration policies. "This is Carney's first test and he's failed it. He's no different from Donald Trump." Sharry Aiken, professor of law at Queen's University, also finds the bill troubling. "Very disappointing. It's a betrayal of many Canadians that supported this government in the most recent election," she said, noting these issues weren't part of the Liberal election campaign. The omnibus bill, she said, is quite complicated with 16 different parts and neither serves to reform the asylum system nor address Canadians' privacy rights. Typically, omnibus bills don't get the degree of parliamentary scrutiny and oversight, she said, which is concerning. Aiken said the one year-bar for asylum claimants represents "a major rollback of rights". "No longer are these claimants eligible for a hearing before the Refugee Protection Division," she said. The division of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) hears and decides claims for refugee protection in Canada. Aikens said this "arbitrary" bill will also very quickly develop a backlog. "The bill proposes a legislative fix for a problem that doesn't require new law. It requires operational intervention," she said. "This one year rule mimics what's in place in the U.S. and what has been the subject of extensive international criticism… This bill does a disservice to refugees and betrays the Canadian public's trust in the Liberal government for ensuring a fair refugee determination system consistent with international standards." She urges the MPs to separate out the provisions having the issues desegregated. 'Will make the process more cumbersome': immigration lawyer Toronto-based immigration lawyer, Mario Bellissimo, said with the bill creating "arbitrary distinctions" of 14 days and one year after June 2020, "an individualized assessment" approach is being taken away. While the number of refugee claimants have recently dipped, Bellissimo said the bill signals that Canada wants to potentially limit immigration. "It wants to send messages to individuals who want to traverse the system over many years without legitimate claims that this is not a destination of choice for you," he said. Bellissimo agrees that targeting individuals who impact the immigration system in a negative way is important but the bill will end up targeting individuals in genuine need of assistance.
Toronto Star
10 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
The Latest: Tesla shares fall after Trump lashes out at Musk
President Donald Trump said it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia 'fight for a while' before pulling them apart and pursuing peace. In an Oval Office meeting Thursday with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump likened the war in Ukraine — which Russia invaded in early 2022 — to a fight between two young children who hated each other.
CTV News
19 minutes ago
- CTV News
Nova Scotia premier pitching ambitious ‘Wind West' offshore wind energy project
A lift boat, right, that serves as a work platform, assembles a wind turbine off Block Island, R.I., Aug. 15, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Michael Dwyer HALIFAX — In response to Prime Minister Mark Carney's bid to make Canada an 'energy superpower,' Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is floating the idea of dramatically ramping up the province's nascent offshore wind energy industry. In an online video released earlier this week, Houston says he's hoping Carney's Liberal government will supply the federal money needed for a new megaproject the premier has dubbed 'Wind West.' The Progressive Conservative premier says the province is 'on the edge of a clean energy breakthrough' and he plans to support construction of enough offshore wind turbines to supply 27 per cent of Canada's total demand for electricity. The video was released with little fanfare on Monday, a day before Canada's provincial and territorial leaders met with Carney in Saskatoon, where the premiers pitched their wish lists for major projects. Nova Scotia has no offshore wind turbines, but the province is in the process of licensing projects that could produce up to five gigawatts of electricity by 2030. The premier's plan calls for private and government funding to pay for construction of enough turbines to generate 40 gigawatts of electricity — eight times greater than the current projects — as well as a cross-country electricity cable. Meanwhile, Houston's government has yet to release any details about how this plan would be rolled out, aside from what's in the video. 'Of course, there are questions,' Houston says. 'Big projects always raise questions. But we are committed to working with Nova Scotians to ensure this project will benefit everyone.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025. The Canadian Press
